Thank you to the hundreds of residents who completed our State of Calne survey. The big issues will be no great surprise: traffic congestion, housing, potholes and a lack of shops and community facilities in the town centre.
Cllr Ian Thorn has backed the campaign to oppose a planning application submitted by Churchill Retirement Living off the Pippin. "I'm in favour of specifically designed homes for the elderly if the demand can be proved. However this proposal is far too large, doesn't provide enough parking, or enough space for shops and undermines the Masterplan the Town Council have been working on for some years."
We waited weeks expecting an appeal to the Secretary of State following the recent decision to "refuse" planning permission for the construction of an Advanced Thermal Treatment Plant by gasification in July.
Our good friend and colleague Cllr David Jenkins had an accident in September severely breaking his right arm and cracking the other, putting David temporarily out of action.
The Lib Dems have launched a petition against Wiltshire Council's plan to increase parking charges, including Sundays and bank holidays. Corsham's historic town centre has over 80 retailers and restaurants but getting people to use it is a growing challenge. Retailers have expressed concerns that increased parking fees will drive more business out of the town.
The café at Phear Park in Exmouth has shut early for the winter this year, and is threatened with permanent closure. What does the café mean to its customers? We investigated and found that it is a social hub playing a valuable role for people who might suffer badly from isolation. We rethink it should be protected!
Wera Hobhouse, Liberal Democrat MP for Bath and spokesperson for Energy Security and Net Zero, called on the government to provide incentives for energy providers to develop solar power in the UK.
Mrs Hobhouse slammed the government for falling behind on meeting the UK’s renewable targets for solar energy capacity. The government plans to deploy 70 GW of solar power across the country by 2035. However, as of 2022, the UK had only installed 14.3 GW of solar pv.
Following a visit to a rooftop solar system installed by Bath & West Community Energy (BWCE) at Beechen Cliff School last year, Wera Hobhouse is keen to encourage the development of similar solar projects across Bath. The solar system is predicted to significantly cut the school’s fuel costs and reduce their carbon emissions by 52 tonnes a year.
In the House of Commons on the 27th February, the Bath MP noted that the UK is lagging behind the rest of the world in renewable energy investment, she urged the government to offer incentives to energy providers to improve solar capacity.
However, Andrew Bowie, Parliamentary Under Secretary for Energy Security and Net Zero, ignored Hobhouse’s proposals, failing to describe the ways in which the government could incentivise solar energy. Instead, Bowie said that the government’s Solar Taskforce would publish recommendations for solar power and reiterated the government’s target to deploy 70 GW by 2035.
Wera Hobhouse, Liberal Democrat MP for Bath and spokesperson for Energy Security and Net Zero, commented:
“The Conservatives are falling dangerously behind on meeting our targets for renewable energy production. It is no good the government setting an ambitious 70 GW solar target if they are nowhere near reaching it.
“It is clear that they have no plan to get us back on track to reach Net Zero. Evidently, they are more than happy to dismiss perfectly good proposals like incentivising solar power. That is why I am so proud that Bath is home to many community energy projects like the solar system at Beechen Cliff School, so that we can lead the way in renewables.”
“It is not just our climate targets harmed by the Conservatives’ delay. Families in Bath and across the country are struggling to pay soaring energy bills which investment in renewables could curb. That is why we Liberal Democrats would build significantly more renewable energy, aiming to generate 80% of our electricity from renewables by 2030.”
Peter Capener, Managing Director of Bath & West Community Energy said:
“Our work with schools is really demonstrating the value of community energy in both addressing the climate crisis and reducing fuel bills. Rooftop solar installed last year has already saved local schools a combined total of £134,209 and has reduced carbon emissions by 224.3 tonnes, which is equivalent to 12,173 journeys from Bath to Edinburgh by train!”
